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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · straw · present · firm · ball · tear

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. firm — a company
  7. present — there
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — a gift
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. tear — from crying
  16. firm — steady
  17. race — humankind
  18. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com